Sister
by indigowaterbears
Summary: They sat in silence, both realizing how much they had missed this. The conversation, the support, the somewhat light and funny tone of the other. They lived together because of Meredith, Maggie and Amelia were co-workers, friends, but nothing more. Over the past few months they had begun to rely on each other a lot more than they ever cared to notice.
Maggie tentatively walked into the house. She was coming off an all nighter and Meredith and the kids were supposed to be away, yet the front door was open and a few lights were on. To be fair she hadn't seen her sister nor the kids and it wouldn't be the first time one of the kids would be home sick with either the nanny or Meredith herself. She'd been looking forward to being able to sleep and enjoy some calm and quiet while alone in the house. Hearing noises from upstairs all her hopes for a long uninterrupted, undisturbed rest vanished. She couldn't hear squealy voices or animal and monster noises, which meant the sick kid was Ellis. Groaning Maggie dropped her bag in the living room and hang carefully her coat and took off her shoes, pacing them neatly next to each other in their usual spot.

To her surprise, though, once she was up the stairs she saw the light coming from Amelia's room. That door had been closed for nearly a week and, while Meredith had offered a half assed explanation, the two main concepts were Amelia doesn't live here anymore and we're not going to talk about it. Maggie walked in the direction of her room, cautious, careful not to make any noise. She peeked around the frame to take a look inside and she definitely wasn't ready for what she was about to find. Drawers were open, a random sock or shirt or bra hanging off the edge, a pile of clothes was in the corner of the room and the open suitcase on the bed was so full it would never close, the boxes on the floor holding random stuff, books, diplomas, more clothes. She scanned the entire room, chaos was the norm in that room, but this was a whole other level of chaos, even for Amelia. In all of the chaos, though, she hadn't seen Amelia sitting on her bed, facing away from her.

Debating for a couple of minutes whether she should go in, wait there or just walk away, Maggie had the chance to think for a second. When Amelia's still form began to shake slightly, before even thinking about it Maggie just walked in to the side Amelia was turned to.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm almost done." Amelia hiccupped without looking up.

Maggie frowned. "What?"

It was in that moment that Amelia realized that it wasn't Meredith looming over he, kicking her out one more time. "Oh, I thought you were Meredith."

Maggie smiled, wary of Amelia's twitchy behavior and slurred speech. Amelia was sitting cross legged on the edge of what used to be her bed, staring out the window, eyes a little vacant and surrounded by a dark shadow. "She's at work."

Amelia nodded. "I know, that's why I'm here, but I… I didn't know you'd be here."

"Bailey's fault." Maggie huffed, plopping down on the bed next to her. "Ever since Hunt decided to take matters into his own hands – literally – she's ordered RIggs and him to be on opposite schedules, which means I had to switch some sifts around."

"Bummer." She said emotionlessly.

They sat in silence, both realizing how much they had missed this. The conversation, the support, the somewhat light and funny tone of the other. They lived together because of Meredith, Maggie and Amelia were co-workers, friends, but nothing more. Over the past few months they had begun to rely on each other a lot more than they ever cared to notice.

Maggie pursed her lips, looking around, trying to recall every single detail of the conversation where Amelia moving out had being discussed, not wanting to get in the middle of it. "Can I ask you something?" Amelia nodded looking away. "Why are you moving out?"

"Meredith didn't tell you?" Amelia retorted harshly, while taken aback at her sudden change, Maggie just shook her head. "I'm not moving out, Meredith kicked me out. Anyway, I'm out."

Obviously Meredith had neglected to mention that little tid bit of information, because Maggie's eyes became so wide she was actually a little scary. "What?!"

Amelia shrugged. "I don't care. Really, it's better this way."

"What happened?"

She hadn't talked about it to anyone, Amelia hadn't even thought about it all that much. It wasn't worth the time or energy she'd otherwise employed in much more interesting tasks, like drinking for instance. "We fought."

Maggie shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah, but you guys fight all the time."

"Guess it was just a matter of time, then." Amelia wiped at her cheeks, careful not to look into Maggie's eyes, almost afraid she'd know what was happening with her with a corner of the eye glance. "I said some horrible things to her. She had every right to throw me out."

"But I don't understand." Maggie insisted. "We're family, that happens all the time, how can she do that to you?"

Amelia felt her chest become heavier, muscles squeezing inside as the conversation replayed in her head. "We're not. Derek was my family. Derek's dead, he's gone."

It made no sense in Maggie's head. Her idea of family was turned upside down in the last couple of years, going from two perfect parents in the perfect home to a semi father, a sister, a dead brother-in-law and Amelia. "What are you talking about?" she smiled with a frown.

"She said that." Amelia looked at her, big blue watery eyes. "Meredith said that."

Maggie stared at her for a second in disbelief. She didn't know if Amelia was exaggerating or if it was the truth, the point was, Maggie was completely convinced Meredith and Amelia were family much, much more than Meredith and her, and they actually were blood relatives. The petty fights, the arguing, the constant jealousy, it was what she'd always imagined would happen between siblings. It was normal. And what Amelia was saying broke her heart a little – of course, that and the way Amelia was trying so hard to pretend like it didn't matter, like she was okay when she was anything but.

She scooted closer to Amelia, who was clutching one of the baby's blankets that she must have found in her room. The kids' stuff was everywhere in this house, the box full of what Amelia had found in her room was proof enough. "I'm sure she didn't mean it. Have you two talked at all?"

"No, and we won't." Amelia said definitively. "There's no need."

"But… But I don't get it! How can a fight become so bad that she kicks you out? It doesn't make sense." Maggie said exasperatedly.

Amelia just shrugged her shoulders, trying really, really hard not to think about it. "It's complicated." When Maggie raised her eyebrows, clearly not accepting Amelia's cop out answer, she went on. "Really, I should have been expecting this and I should have moved out long ago."

"Where are you going to stay now?" Amelia looked away and Maggie sighed at her somewhat childish way of dealing with adult life. "With Owen?"

Amelia scoffed, feeling more tears gather in her eyes. She sat Ellie's blanket aside, immediately feeling the cold attack the warm spot it had left in her lap. "No. He's probably moving in here as soon as I leave – that is, if he's not moving directly to Meredith's room."

"Okay," she held up a hand in front of her. "What the hell are you talking about? He cheated on you? With Meredith?"

It was a simple enough assumption and an easy one to make, considering what she'd just said. Amelia didn't even know if her and Owen were exclusive or something or even dating – they had never, ever been on a date. Except for that concert. She went to concerts with her friends all the time, how that had been any different she didn't know. "Kind of. Not cheating as in… god, I don't even know, but I feel cheated."

Maggie turned her body to Amelia, pulling her face up to hers with a finger under her chin. "Explain."

"The Riggs thing." Amelia said, barely audible, not really ready to talk about it yet, not when she had no idea what it meant to begin with. "Owen wouldn't talk and it was fine, if he needs to brood, he can brood. Except somehow Meredith found out whatever that is and when I confronted her she called the Cristina card and said it wasn't my business. She said it didn't concern me and that I was just being a whiny baby."

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight." Maggie yawned, exhaustion trumped by curiosity. "Owen told Meredith and she wouldn't tell you? Because of Owen's ex wife?" Amelia nodded with a sad smile. "Why didn't you ask Owen?"

Amelia turned to her, the sudden move breaking the equilibrium she'd found, as the tears started falling down her cheeks. "I did. The first thing I did was talk to him and he said he didn't want me-me…" sobs started cutting her words. "He said he didn't want my help or to talk about it."

"But he talked to Meredith." Amelia nodded, not fighting the sobs anymore, grabbing the blanket again, holding onto it for dear life. Maggie reached to comfort her, but gentle touches were not enough and she had an inkling this was far more complex than a hug could fix. "Have you tried telling Meredith that you felt left out?"

Amelia shook her head, taking a deep breath, desperately trying to calm down as all the bottled up feelings from the last few days came up. "She said – she said Cristina is her sister, that's who she's loyal to. I'm just Derek's messed up little sister and now that he's gone, we're not family anymore."

"What did you tell her then?" inquired Maggie softly, almost afraid of knowing the answer.

"I said some really bad stuff. I was mean. I was horrible and the worst is that I dragged Derek into it. I shouldn't have said those things." Amelia cried a little harder. It was all her fault the conversation had gone south. She should have been the bigger person – had Owen not lashed out at her a few minute prior, she might have had the strength to be the bigger person. "It's just… she hates me. It's obvious, she hates me so much and she was just looking for a reason to kick me out and I was smart enough to give her one."

Maggie shook her head, stroking Amelia's back soothingly. "She does not hate you. You butt heads a lot, but she doesn't hate you. I think you remind her of Derek a lot. You remind me of Derek a lot. It must be difficult, I'm not saying she was right or wrong, but you two constantly act like there is this huge unresolved thing between you and you're both convinced you're right."

There was. Amelia would probably never forgive her for not calling when her brother was in the hospital, for not having the chance to say goodbye. She'd never forgive Meredith for taking that away. "I wanted it to work, I thought it was going well. Instead, it seems like a lost everyone in just one day. I'm alone. Again."

"Shut up." Maggie insisted smiling, putting her arm around Amelia's shoulders pulling her in a sided hug. "I'm your sister."

Amelia turned up to her face, eyebrows furrowing in the middle of her wrinkled forehead. "But you're really not."

"Should I be offended?" Maggie tightened her arm around Amelia. "You are my sister you hear me? No nonsense about being alone, okay?"

The broad smile was followed by many more tears as Maggie pulled her in, Amelia leaned her head on her shoulder, letting the hurt and angry and frustrated out. Things were going to be weird, hard and complicated, frankly Maggie liked Amelia despite all her quirks and annoying habits, she made living with widow Meredith and her kids a little brighter and funnier. They spent quite a bit like that, Amelia finally feeling like she had someone after all and Maggie holding onto another bit of her constantly breaking family.


End file.
